Lattice Dynamics and Superconductivity in Cerium at High Pressure

I. Loa; E. I. Isaev; M. I. McMahon; D. Y. Kim; B. Johansson; A. Bosak; M. Krisch

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.045502

← Back to search

Lattice Dynamics and Superconductivity in Cerium at High Pressure

I. Loa, E. I. Isaev, M. I. McMahon, D. Y. Kim, B. Johansson, A. Bosak, M. Krisch

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.045502 · Physical Review Letters

T1

Active bibliographic source — not scientific approval

Bibliographic access preserves source history; it does not approve extracted materials or validate reported claims. Review warnings on each occurrence separately.

Abstract

We have measured phonon dispersion relations of the high-pressure phase cerium-oC4 (α′ phase with the α-uranium crystal structure) at 6.5 GPa by using inelastic x-ray scattering. Pronounced phonon anomalies are observed, which are remarkably similar to those of α−U. First-principles electronic structure calculations reproduce the anomalies and allow us to identify strong electron-phonon coupling as their origin. At the low-pressure end of its stability range, Ce-oC4 is on the verge of a lattice-dynamical instability and possibly a charge density wave. The superconducting transition temperatures of the fcc, oC4, and mC4 phases of Ce have been calculated, and the superconductivity observed experimentally by Wittig and Probst is attributed to the oC4 phase.

Source-reported materials — not catalogue approval

Formula	Reported Tc (K)	Pressure (GPa)	Type
Ce Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	2	6.5 GPa	unknown
Ce Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	4.5	6.5 GPa	unknown
Ce Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	5.1	4.6 GPa	unknown
Ce Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	1	6.5 GPa	unknown
Ce Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	1	6.5 GPa	unknown
Ce Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	1.5	5 GPa	unknown
Ce Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	1.9	3.6 GPa	unknown